Total situational awareness since 2004.

September 22, 2006

Disconnected Friday Thoughts

(1) Listening to NPR right now. Apparently the Bush/Senate "compromise" on Detainee treatment and judicial rights says that you can't torutre/waterboard/humiliate etc. but that you also can't punish CIA interrogators for doing those things. It seems, therefore, that the law (on these points) is meaningless. And intentionally so. It contains a loophole in the fine print so that everyone can declare victory. Well. At least now you can't rape on cause severe bodily harm to someone...

(2) The quest for an authentic Shakespeare is a Quixotic one, literally. It's also, like Quixote, not actually noble so much as a satire of nobility. At least from a theater perspective. Directors and dramaturgs (with any luck, with the help of their actors) are always going to perform some bastardized version of the text. Knowing whether or not Shakespeare intended Hamlet to die with "The rest is silence" or "The rest is silence/ O, o, o, o!" isn't possible. Any argument is just that, an argument, pure conjecture. Perhaps well argued conjecture, but conjecture nonetheless. Part of the beauty of theatre is its unreliability, it's bastardization, it's complete lack of authenticity.

(3) A few of us in the theater blogosphere will be recommending to you three shows that we think might be interesting this fall/winter that you should learn more about. I planned on talking about three NYC shows, but since our conversation the other day, I shall try to also post about three DC shows, if I can find the time.

(4) I will be sitting on a panel next Friday afternoon along with several other bloggers and journalists about blogging and theater criticism as part of the Prelude Festival. I can't find a URL to link to right now, but when I do I shall update the post. The panel is assembled by newly minted Artistic Director of Soho Rep Sarah Benson, and shall be moderated by none other than David Cote, himself a critic who has recently crossed over to the world of theater blogging with his jealousy-inducingly-well-written blog Histriomastix.